Acetylene-gas generator.



O. A. NIGKLES.

AOETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6, 1911.

Patented. Nov. 7, 1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLAIR ARTHUR NICKLES, OF POl\TCA, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR TO CLAIR A NICKLES LAND IRA EDGAR HORACK, BOTH OF PONCA, OKLAHOMA.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

Application filed February 6, 1911.' SeriaLNo. 606,991.

as will enable others skilled in the art to' .which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain im-' provements in acetylene gas generators"; and

the objects. and nature of the invention will,

be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following description of -the accompanying drawings illustrating what I now consider to be the preferred embodimentfrom among other formations and arrangements within the spirit and scope of my invention. I

An object of the inventionis to provide a compact, comparatively simple, durable, exceedingly safe and easily manipulated acetylene gas generator whereinwater and generating orcarbid chambers' are employedwith means whereby pressure is automatically maintained in both chambers due to the generation of gas, and whereby water isautomatically fed to the carbid chamber whenever the pressure therein .dr'ops'and'whereby the feed of water thereto is stopped whenever the pressure in said carbid chamber exceeds that in the water chamber, and whereby the pressure in said chambers can be built up and equalized to the safety or' maximum pressure.

A further object of the invention'is to provide certain improvements in details and arrangements whereby a highly eflicient antomatic generatorof acetylene or other gas will be produced.

The invention consists in certain novel features in construction and arrangen'ients- 11, the last named head being usually dished inwardly and inset in the tank head. A fixed closed partition 12, (usually arranged between the cente r of the-length of thetank and the head 11) divides the interior of the tank into a water chamber a, and'a carbid or generating chamber 6. The tank at its top is provided witha filling opening into the water ;chamber a, and this opening is normally tightly closed by a removable screw plug The end head 10, is provided with a filling opening through which carbid can be introduced into chamber 6, and this opening is' normally tightly closed by screw plug 14. In the specific example illustrated, I show the plug 14, provided with a cup 15, for supplying water for initial generation. This cup is carried by a stem 16', secured to the plug and projecting inwardly therefrom and holding the. cup spaced therefrom with its open side toward the plug. -When the generator is in its normal horizontal generating position, this cup is inwater'diseharging position, so that the contentsthereof will discharge into chamber 1).. An open passage is provided between thelower portion of chamber a, and the upper portion of chamber 6, for the equalization of pressure in said chambers by the back and forth flow of liquid and gaseous fluid between the chambers. As a convenient means for constituting this passage, I provide'an inten nally open or unobstructed; pipe or tube 2, arranged vertically in the chamber a, and extending from the upper portion thereof to the bottom thereof with its lower open end near the floor of said chamber. This pipe passes through the upper part of the partition 12 and is soldered or otherwise fixed thereto to form a tight joint therewith, and extends along the top of chamber Z). and opens into a distributing pipe closed at the ends and perforated along its bottom side to discharge water into the carbid chamber. The distributing pipe is contrally and longitudinally arranged in the top ofthe earbid chamber and is usually rigidly fixed and supported as by being soldered to the inner depending end of pipe 9. which can be soldered to the inner surface of the top of the tank, although I do not wish to limit my invention to such specific arrangements for dropping and distributing the water in.the earbid chamber.

26, is any suitable valve-controlled gas chamber 0, preferably secured by screw thread connection in an opening through the tank top.

8, is a pipe extending through and fixed in the upper part of partition 12, and opening into the'upper part of the carbid chamber and from thence extending through the upper part of the water chamber and at its outer end fixed to the head 11, in communication with a bushing fixed in said head.

A. pop valve 30, is arranged at the exterior of the head 11, and its casing is screwed into said bushing into communication with pipe 3, so that the valve of said pop valve is held closed by its spring against the pressurein the carbid chamber. This pop valve is set to blow ofi oropen say atabout fifty pounds pressure, or at a pressure in excess of the maximum operating pressure of the generator. The pipe 3, is closed from communication with the interior of the water chamber. Another pop valve 4, is arranged at the exterior of the head 11, and

is screwed into an opening therein above lthe. water linein the water chamber a, and opening into said chamber, and the spring" of said valve holds the same closed against the pressure in said water chamber and is usually set to blow off or open at about forty pounds pressure or atthe maximum working pressure of the generator: 5, is a drain or pet cock arranged at the exterior of the head 11, and secured therein andopening. into the lower portion of the water chamber for draining the same when desired.

6, is a pressure gage arranged at the exterior of the head 11, and secured to said head in communication with In charging the tank for operation, the

plug,13, is removed and the chamber a, is-

at the upper end thereof, and the plugl l,

is removed and a sutlicient charge of carbid is placed in chamber Z), the gas take oii valve 26, having been adjusted to closed position. The cup 15, is then filled with water, and the plug 14:, is inserted in the opening therefor and screwed up tight. The gci'ierator is then placed on its side in horizontal position which is its normal position during operation. and can be se-- cured to an automobile or wherever it is to be employed. The water in cup 15, is thus discharged onto the carbid and is snflicient to provide for the initialgeneration to produce the necessary working pressure for the automatic operation of the generator. The: gas under pressure produced in chamber Z), by the initial generation, flowsv through the open passage 23, 2, into the the water .0 chamber to indicate the pressure therein.

chamber at, until the pressure in both chambers 1s equalized. As the gas is used from chamber 6, so that the pressure therein drops below that in chamber a, water will be forced through the communicating pas- 7o sage and sprinkled on the carbid to again start generation and'bnild up. the pressure, and as the pressure rises in chamber 6,- above that in chamber a, equalization will be automatically attained through gas (pressure) backing up through the communicatmg passage and passing up into chamber a, through the water'therein. The pressure in the tank cannot exceed the maximum working pressure, inasmuch as pop valve 4,-is set to blow off at the working pressure, say at forty pounds. This pop valve opens into chamber a, and'when it blows oii, the pressure will be reduced in the water chamber and hence the pressure will immediately flow thereinto from the generating chamber, and thus stop generation and reduce the pressure in both chambers.

The pop valve 30, from the generating chamber is set to blow off at a'pressure considerably above the maximum working pressure for instance, if the maximum working pressure is about forty pounds, the pop 30, could be set to blow off at about fifty pounds. This pop 30, constitutes an emergency safety device to meet abnormal conditions that might arise. For instance, should passage 2, 23, become clogged while generation of gas is taking place in chamber b, and thereby close' communication with chamber a, and trap the increasing pressure in chamber 6, the pop 30, would blow ofi when the pressure reached a dangerous point and relieve the pressure.

It is evident that various changes, variations and modifications might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I'donot wish to limit myself to the exact: disclosures hereof. I i I What I claim is 1. An acetylene gas generator comprising a tank containing a water chamber and a 'carbid chamber, means placing the carbid and water chambers 1n open communication for the free flow of gas under pressure from the carbidchamber to the water chamber and alternately for. feeding water from the water chamber to the carbid chamber, a pop valve in communication with the water chamber set to blow off about at the maximum working pressure of the generator, and a pop valve in communication with the carbid chamber set to blow ofi' at a pressure greater than said maximum workmg pressure,

.2. An acetylene gas generator comprising a horizontally disposed tank internally formed with a water chamber and with a carbid chamber, both chambers normally 13 closed for the maintenance of pressure" therein, a service gas ofi-take from the carbid chamber, an open unobstructed pipe connection from the interior of the lower portion of the water chamber to the upper portion of the carbid chamber and there provided with means .for distributing water on the carbid in the carbid chamber,

said pipe connection formed and arranged for the free back flow of gas under pressure from the carbid chamber to the water chamber and alternately for the flow of water from the water chamber to the carbid chamber, substantially as described.

3. An acetylene gas generator operated by the pressure of the gas generated therein and comprising means providing a water chamber and a carbid chamber, both normally closed for the maintenance of the maximum uniform working pressure therein, and means placing said chambers in free unobstructed open communication for equalizing the pressure therein by automatically and alternatively passing gas from the carbid chamber to the water chamber and water from the water chamber to the carbid chamber when the normal high pressure in either chamber drops below that in the other, sub stantially as described.

4. An acetylene gas generator comprising a tank internally divided to form a water chamber and acarbid chamber, said tank be ing provided with a service gas oiftake from the carbid chamber, a. pop valve in open communication with the water chamber for maintaining the maximum working pressure therein, and an open'unobstructed pipe connection-from a point below the water line in the water chamber and extending to and opening into the carbid chamber for distributing water to the carbid and for conveying gas under pressure from the carbid chamber to the water chamber.

5. An acetylene gas generator comprising 'a horizontally disposed tank having end heads, one of said heads being dished inwardly, said tank being provided with a vertically disposed partition dividing the interior of the tank into a water chamber and a carbid chamber, said tank provided with normally closed charging openings into said chambers, a service gas ofitake from said carbid chamber, said dished head being provided with a pressure gage in open communication with said water chamber, a pop valve carried by said dished head and in open communication with said water chamber, a pipe extending through the water chamber and opening into the carbid chamber and through said dished head, a pop valve carried by said dished head and in open communication with said pipe, means for starting initial generationof pressure in the carbid chamber, and a pipe connection opening into the water chamber at a point below the water line and extending therefrom to the upper portion of the carbid chamber'and there provided with means for distributing water on the carbid.

6. Anacetylene gas generator comprising a horizontally disposed tank internally divided vertically to provide a water chamber "and a carbid chamber, said tank having a normally'closed charging opening into the water chamber, and having a charging opening into the carbid chamber, means for closing said opening into the carbid chamber provided with a water cup, a service gas oiitake from the carbid chamber, safety means for relieving the pressure in said chambers when the same rises above the maximum working pressure, and a water distributer in the upper portion of the carbid chamber in open communication with the water chamber below the water line therein.

7 An acetylene gas generator comprising a movable tank having an internal partition dividing the same into a water chamber and a carbid chamber, said tank being provided with means for taking off the gas from the carbid chamber and with an opening into the carbid chamber, a removable closure for saidopening provided with and carrying a water cup arranged in said carbid chamber in water discharging position when the tank is in operative position and in water retaining position when the tank is in abnormal position, and means for feeding waterfroln said water chamber to the carbid in said carbid chamber.

8; An acetylene gas generator comprising an elongated portable tank arranged horizontally when in operative position and having a base on which the same can be arranged in upright abnormal position. said tank having an opening, a removable closure for said opening provided with a water cup arranged inwardly beyond the closure and having means fixing the same thereto and so arranged. that the cup is in water holding position when the tank s 111 upright position and 1s in water discharging position when the tank is in operative position, said tank being internally divided into a' water chamber and a carbid chamber, said cup being arranged in said carbid chamber,

water distributing means in the carbid chamber, and a pipe connection from said means opening into the water chamber below the water line.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signa ture, in presence of two witnesses.

CLAIR ARTHUR NICKLES.

Witnesses:

J. P. SAULIGNY E. P. SAULIGNY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five-cents each, By addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

